King's message never more crucial

STOCKTON - The nonviolent message of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. has never been more important.

Kevin Parrish

STOCKTON - The nonviolent message of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. has never been more important.

Particularly in Stockton.

Coming off a record-breaking year of 71 homicides, the city will pause Sunday and Monday to observe King's birthday. The slain civil rights leader would have been 84 Tuesday.

"In Stockton, we need to emulate what he tried to do and what he did," said Rev. Robert Williams, the associate pastor of Mount Zion Missionary Baptist Church in Boggs Tract. "The shootings and killings are out of hand."

For more than two decades, the city's black community has organized a celebration on Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Seldom has his message of nonviolence been more relevant.

Williams, 75, is one of the organizers of the 2013 observance. So is the Rev. Dennis Moore, 62, pastor of First Thessalonians Missionary Baptist Church.

"We want to say something to stop the violence. Period. All the violence," Moore said. "It's a war that goes on - between good and evil.

"Dr. King's message is the purpose and the centerpiece of this celebration. It's not only for black people, but for all people."

Given the charge of inspiring local residents will be newly elected Stockton City Councilman Michael Tubbs, who grew up on the city's south side and graduated from Franklin High School and Stanford University. Tubbs is the keynote speaker Sunday evening at Stockton Memorial Civic Auditorium.

» Prayer breakfast at south hall of Civic Auditorium. Tickets are $15 in advance, $18 at door.

10 a.m.

» Community members will gather at the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. statute in the downtown plaza by the same name. They will march and wind up at Civic Auditorium.

11 a.m.

» A daylong youth program with workshops, essays, poetry recitals, a talent show and prize giveaways. Information booths will be part of the event, also at the Civic. To start the day, the Black Employees Association of Stockton Unified School District is conducting a free parenting workshop with breakout sessions.

In Tracy, the Black Student Union chapters at all three of the city's comprehensive high schools - Kimball, West and Tracy - are co-hosting a citywide breakfast at 8:30 a.m. Monday at the Tracy Community Center, 950 East St.

Stockton's celebration originated with former City Councilman Floyd Weaver, who felt it was important to respond to King's tragic assassination April 4, 1968, in Memphis, Tenn.

"Right after his death, the community was wanting to do something," Weaver said. What started with a commemoration at the Civic Auditorium has expanded to include annual recognition awards and, in 2004, the addition of the monument.

"With the awards, we asked, 'What have you done for the community to commemorate his life and teachings?' " Weaver said. "With the statue, there was no opposition. We were very successful from the start at raising money for it."

The King celebration is sponsored this year by Stockton City Hall, the Baptist Pastors/Ministers Alliance and Ministers and Community United Inc. The 2013 theme is "Building Bridges: Dream. Dialogue. Service."

Williams said it was important to remember that King's life represented equal rights and peace.

"All the killings in Stockton go totally against what Dr. King stood for," Williams said.